PROMISE, TEXAS
By Debbie Macomber
Mira Romance
October 1999
ISBN # 1-55166-502-6
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here to buy this book}
Have you ever wondered what you'd see
if you looked in on the goings on of a small town? Have
you ever wondered what the
people would
be like, how their lives effect each others and what they do
behind closed doors? And have you ever wondered what it would
be like to be a voyeur but without the guilt associated with
watching others without their knowing? National bestselling
author Debbie Macomber drops us into a small southern town where
we can do all those things. In "Promise, Texas" life
in a small town isn't all golden fields, dairy cows, quilting
bees and strawberry pies. Things can be just as complicated,
fast paced and exciting as any big city.
"Promise, Texas" plays host to a
large cast of well-developed characters, all of whose roles
are as in-depth as the next. As well, there is no singular
or apparent hero and heroine. This also means that there are
several plots involved since everyone has a story to tell.
Annie Applegate is looking for a fresh start
after a bad divorce and her best friend Jane Patterson convinces
her to move to Promise. Annie has always wanted to own her
own bookstore and decides that Promise might be just what
she needs.
Lucas Porter, also newly arrives, is the towns
veterinarian. He's three years widowed with young twin daughters
who've fallen in love with Annie. When they ask their father
if they can keep Annie, Lucas explains that Annie is not like
one of the lost kittens in the office, but that doesn't stop
him from striking a deal with Annie that involves marriage.
Jeannie French is Promise's first grade teacher
and also a new resident. She is all the town sheriff, Adam
Jordan, can think about. Regardless of the fact that Adam
was in the Airborne Rangers for twelve years and is now the
best sheriff Promise has ever seen, whenever Adam gets near
Jeannie he turns into "super klutz". But he's determined
to win her heart.
Nessa Boyd is a long time resident of Promise
and widowed for a good many years. When she meets a man named
Gordan Pawling she realizes that she can, indeed, love again.
Theirs is a love at first sight and a second change at love
all rolled up in one. Unfortunately it's their adult children
who try to sabotage the relationship.
Mary and Phil Patterson own one of Promise's
most popular B&B's. But when they suddenly stop taking
reservations their sons become extremely worried. Phil is
adamant that it's life as usual, though they just want to
take things easier as they're getting older. It's Mary's strange
behavior that has the boys doubting their father's word.
Not all is roses in Promise though because
local boy Richard Weston is serving a long-term prison sentence
for swindling friends and family. He's now charmed his female
lawyer, and ex-wife of one of Promise's affluent citizens,
and she's in town on a fact-finding mission for Richard.
"Promise, Texas" is packed full of
intriguing stories coming from everyday characters. They could
be our neighbors, family or even ourselves. Though the town
of Promise is born from Macomber's own imagination she's sure
to envelope readers with the local history she's created, fascinating
characters and the goings on in the town. Add to this a haunted
ghost town just outside of Promise called Bitter End, and stories
of buried treasure, and "Promise, Texas" will draw
you in. You will feel like a leaf on the wind as you read this
story. You'll blow gently in on the warm summer breeze and light
into each resident's life before the next gust carried you away
again. And when you've closed the book you'll have the answers
to what it would be like to look in on others lives and see
how they live…and love.
